Neck-yoke



(No Model.)

J. S. BROWNl NECK YOKB Patented Nov. 29, 1892..

Fig

Figi 41 NI/ENTOH 00071/ mmv@ ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

.I AMES S. BROWN, OE EUREKA, CALIFORNIA.

N ECK-YOKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part ot Letters Patent No. 487,112, dated November29, 1892.

Application filed June 30, 1892 Serial No. 438,492. (No model.) i

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern/.f

Be it known that I, JAMES S. BROWN, of Eureka, in the county of Humboldtand State of California, have invented a new and useful ImprovementinNeck-Yoke and Pole Connections, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

This invention relates to the neck-yokes and poles or tongues of wagonsand other draft-vehicles; and it consists in a special construction andcombination with the same of certain pivotal connections uniting theneck-yoke with the pole, substantially as hereinafter described, andmore particularly pointed out in the claim, and whereby many advantagesare secured over the ordinary neck-yoke and its connection with thepole, as hereinafter explained.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 represents a view in perspective of the neck-yoke and pole inpart detached with the connections applied thereto in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view upon the line 2 2 in Fig. 3of the neck-yoke and pole united by the connections with which they arefitted. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section upon the line 3 3 in Fig. 2;and Eig. 4 is a sectional plan View in part, showing a similarconstruction to that eXhibited in Fig. 3, but representing a modifiedconstruction of the pivotal bolt uniting the neck-yoke with the pole.

In carrying out my invention I usually make the wagon-pole 10 about teninches (more or less) shorter than the ordinary pole or tongue, and onthe forward end of the pole as thus shortened I secure by screws orotherwise a closely-fitting ferrule 11, of Wroughtsteel or othersuitable strong material. This ferrule is made with a rounded andflattened front end or portion 12 in a horizontal or right-angled axialrelation with the length of the main portion of the ferrule, and saidrounded or attened portion is divided by a space 14 to form an uppercheek or arm 1.3 and lower` cheek or arm 13', which makes it constitutea rigid clevis for uniting the pole with the neck-yoke, as clearly shownin Fig. 3. Both cheeks or arms 13 13 are perforated in linewith eachother to receive down through them a pivotal bolt 15, having a nut 18 onits one or lower end. The hole in the upper cheek or arm 13 is madesquare, so as to receive a square shoulder 16 at the head of theclevis-bolt 15 and hold it steady and prevent the clevis-bo1t fromturning round, while a screwthread is cut upon the opposite end of thebolt to receive the nut 18. Said pivotal or clevis bolt is preferablyabout ve-eighths ot' an inch in diameter, and the portion of it 17 thatlies between the cheeks or arms 13 and 13 is reduced and iiattened onits front and rearsides-that is, at right angles to thelength of thepole-so that said reduced portion is five-eighths of an inch wide, or ofthe same size as the general diameter of the bolt, and five-sixteenths(more or less) of an inch thick. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the head ofthe bolt projects above the top side of the pole7 while the nut 1Sprojects below.

Around the middle of the neck-yoke 19 is fastened by screws or otherwisea sleeve, strap, or shield 20, of wrought-steel or other suitable metal.This sleeve is constructed on its rear side with a lug 21, having acircular head or cheek 22 of nearly the same thickness as the space ordistance 141 between the clevis-cheeks 13 13', so that it may be easilyinserted in said space between the clevis arms or cheeks to form a closefit therewith. The cheek 22 of the lug has a hole 23 in its middlelargeenough to receive snugly within or through it the reduced portion 17 otthe bolt 15 in direction of the width ot' said portion and has a slot orbranch 24 running out from it through the rear edge of said cheek 2:3 ofa width correspending, or thereabout, with the thickness of the reducedor flattened portion 17 of the bolt and so as to allow of said reducedportion 17 passing through it.

In the application of the invention, when the parts are constructed asshown and described with reference to Figs. l, 2, and 3 of the drawings,the partially-flattened bolt 15 is first put through the holes in theclevis arms or cheeks 13 13 with the width of its reduced portion 17 ina crosswise direction to the length of the pole, as shown in Figs. 2and. 3, and the nut 18 then put on the lower end of the bolt and screwedon till the bolt is held firm and secure from moving. I then place IOOthe neck-yoke parallel with and close to the pole, so that the branch orslot 24 from the hole 23 inthe cheek 22 of the lug on the neckyoke isopposite the bolt l5, and slip the bolt through said slot and into thehole 23, after which the neck-yokeisturned a quarter round, orthereabout, into a posit-ion at right angles with the pole, which putsit in a position ready for hitchingthe horses to it, asy shown in Figs.2 and 3. So long as the neck-yoke is in the position shown in Figs. 2and 3 it is impossible for it to be separated from the pole, thekeyhole-opening formed by the hole 23 and slot 24 in the cheek 22 of thelug 2l serving to prevent the passage of the bolt out of said opening,though readily admitting of the entry of the bolt into it when theneck-yoke is turned into a parallel position close to the pole. Theneck-yoke, however, when adjusted into bitching position, as described,will readily turn around the bolt as an axis, but has no other motion.rlhus it has no hinge motion that will allow it to bend back, so as tomake it rise or fall backwardly above or below the pole.

To separate the neck-yoke from the pole, first unhitch the horses fromthe neck-yoke, then turn the neck-yoke around on the bolt as an axisuntil the radial slot 21 of the keyholeopening in the cheek 22 of thelug 21 is opposite the thickness of the reduced portion 17 of the bolt,when the neck-yoke and pole will readily separate, said reduced portion17 of the bolt passingr edgewise through the slot. rlhe arms or cheeks13 13 of the clevis 12 are bent slightly a little relatively tothe bodyofthe ferrule ll. This bend will allow the neck-yoke, while stillattached to the pole, to lie on a barn or other floor extended indirection parallel with the pole, one-half of the neck-yoke beingalongside of the pole and the other half beyond the forward end of thepole, thus economizing room.

If desired,a pivotal bolt 25, of circular form throughout its length ormade without a reduced fiattened portion, may be provided, as shown inFig. 4, to be used where it is not desired to separate the pole from theneckyoke. In such case I withdraw the partiallyflattened bolt andsubstitute therefor the allround bolt.

Comparing my invention with the ordinary or old style of neck-yokehaving a leather strap or iron ring in its middle, through which thepole end projected, there was always danger in such an arrangement ofthe front end of the pole colliding with or running into anothervehicle, animal, or person which chanced to beimmedialelyinfrontofit;butby my herein-described neck-yoke and poleconnectionsthisdangerisavoided. Secondly,with the old style ofneck-yokeand its connections when either of the neck-yoke straps brokethe pole would drop to the ground and cause the horses to be frightenedat such displacement of' the pole or of it striking the horses legs andexcite them into running'away; but with my improved pole and neck-yokeconnections, there being no motion of the neckyoke around the pole,excepting around the pivotal bolt as an axis, the horse whose strap isnot broken will keep up the end of the pole, so as to prevent ittouching the ground or striking the legs of either horse. Thirdly, withthe old style ot' neck-yoke and its connections when the traces breakthe horses step or run forward and the neck-yoke becomes detachedfromthe pole and a runaway and serious consequences or breakages are oftenthe result; but with my invention no such detachment can take place, asthe neckyoke must stay with the pole and the horses stay with theneck-yoke and the wagon, thus giving the driver the fullest opportunityto stop the horses. Fourthly, or again, with the old style of neck-yokeand its connections when the horses are trotting the gait of' the horsesproduces a wabbling motion of the neck-yoke, which interferes with rapidtraveling, while with my invention such lnotiou and consequentinterference is entirely avoided. The rigidity of the neck-yoke inmyimprovenient often assists in preventing an upsetting of the vehicle,and, there being no vertical motion ot' the neck-yoke, the'neck-yoke andpole are practically one piece, or as much so as the pole and forwardaxle of the wagon are one, and when the wagon is in the act of upsettingthe horses attached to the neckyoke hold it to such an extent thatupsetting in a general way will be prevented.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the pole or tongue, of the'ferrule on the forwardend thereof, constructed with a clevis-like projection in front,composed of an upper arm or cheek and a lower arm or cheek with a spacein between them and with a bolt-hole down through them, the neck-yokewith its attached sleeve having a lug in its rear, formed with a fiatprojecting cheek adapted to fit in between the cheeks on the end of thepole-ferrule and provided with a keyhole bolt-opening up through it,cutting through the edge of it in the rear, and a fixed or non-rotatablepivotal bolt of reduced flattened construction where it passes throughthe cheek on the lug of the neck-yoke, substantially as shown anddescribed,and for the purposes herein set forth.

JAMES S. BROl/VN.

Vitnesses:

HENRY SCHWAB, FRED W. BELL.

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